According to dictionary.com, a role model is “a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people”. To have someone there to look up to, to have someone there to go to with problems is a person everyone strives to have in their life. A role model is always a great example for the younger generation to see what is socially acceptable and what is not. Having a someone to look up to can drastically change someone’s life and for some people, having a role model makes their life all the much better. For those who don’t have role models, they frown upon their own life.
For Cameron in The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth she had no role models. When her parents passed away at a young age, she was left to her aunt and grandmother. Cameron resented her aunt for trying to be a good parent figure and for trying to be easy to talk to and as for her grandmother, she was actually easy to talk to. They were both acted this way until the day they both found out Cameron was lesbian. Once they found this out, their love for her quickly turned into hatred, supporting the idea that they were terrible role models. The reason they both can be viewed as terrible role models is the fact that they believed that being lesbian was a bad thing and chose not to accept Cameron for the way she was. A good role model would not see any flaws in being oneself. But that is not how Cameron’s aunt or grandma acted, they were not looking out for Cameron. Cameron should have never been sent to the boarding school to “fix” her, she should have been loved for who she was. Their behavior was unacceptable and completely out of line. I feel like in this day and age the younger generation and most adults are accepting that their friends or children are coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The parents that are not accepting of their children coming out tend to be the very religious families just like Cameron’s aunt.
Another piece of art in which there is a role model is in the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. This movie is about a mother, Mildred, whose daughter, Angela, passed away seven months prior and wants the police department to actually help find the killer. To motivate the police department, she buys out three billboards and writes directly to the town about the lack of help finding the killer. You can tell just from the trailer that Mildred wants the police department to find her daughter’s killer and uses the three billboards as a way to motivate them. Mildred never gives up when Angela was killed so she fights for justice. Anyone should strive to become the person that fights for a relative/friend/anyone no matter what situation they are in.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg is currently a justice on the Supreme Court, became only the second woman to receive this important position. After attending Cornell University for her undergraduate degree and Harvard & Columbia for law school, she taught at Rutgers University and worked for the American Civil Liberties Union. During this period she became well known representing clients on gender discrimination lawsuits, including several that went on to the Supreme Count (of which she won 5 of these Supreme Court cases). As a result of her distinguished career she has become a pop culture icon and role model for many. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that two movies have been made about her: On the Basis of Sex and a documentary called RBG. Ginsberg is a good role model to anyone interested in law.
When it comes to songs, there are plenty that have to do with role models. I specifically chose the song No Role Modelz by J. Cole. This song is about the singer looking back on his past and how his relationships have affected who he is now. I looked at the lines where J. Cole sings:
“No role models and I’m here right now
No role models to speak of
Searchin’ through my memory, my memory, I couldn’t find one”
These lyrics show how J. Cole can not remember any role models in his life.
In sum, role models are found in every aspect of our lives and our experiences with them help to shape who we become. Not only should we think about who our role models are but we should be thankful for what they have done to get us to where we are in life.
Danforth, Emily M. The Miseducation of Cameron Post: a Novel. 2011.
Editors, History.com. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/ruth-bader-ginsburg.
Film4. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Official Trailer HD | Film4.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ogg0N_i8g.
Jams, Clean Car. “J. Cole – No Role Modelz (Clean Edit).” YouTube, YouTube, 24 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_NtS-uVWKQ.
Moments, Movie. “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI: Mildred vs Father Montgomery.” YouTube, YouTube, 13 Mar. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Erg09oOpmo.
“Role Model.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/role-model.
- Lexi Pollner
Representing Adolescence @ Pitt 
I really enjoyed reading this piece because I feel like role models are a very important thing that we haven’t touched on a lot in the class so far, but they effect young teens a lot. It was interesting to see you talk about the way Cameron Post’s grandmother and Aunt blame themselves for Cameron being a lesbian, and how they thought they had did something wrong for Cameron being the way that she is. I also liked the lyrics from J. Cole’s song that you used because they show that even though role models are important, you can still find a way to stay on the right path without them.
-Erick Patterson
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